“Burley,” or “berley,” (not to be confused with “burly”) has two interesting definitions.
- Bait scattered in the water to attract fish
- Nonsense: thinking or talk to be considered nonsensical
Both definitions have pertinence to the Burley Nomad and Burley’s approach to customer service.
The Nomad is one of the most spacious storage methods for cycle touring, able to hold about 8000 cu. in. of cargo. The storage space, per cubic inch, is cheaper than many panniers, as well as the “BOB” cargo trailer.
With the Burley Nomad, a cyclist’s possessions can be stored in one container, allowing the cyclist to easily detach the trailer and store it in a safe spot. Because it has two wheels, it is relatively balanced to pull with one hand when detached from the bike. Also, the two-wheel construction rests the weight of the trailer on its own axles, less so on the bicycle.
The trailer is easy to take apart, requiring no tools. It packs small, great for flying or storing in a spacious locker offered at many hostels. This spectrum of positives is like the “burley”, or bait scattered in the water to attract fish. Many will find a decent meal in the bait. However, many will find themselves caught in a net.
Inherent in the benefits are obvious drawbacks. Of great concern is the two-wheel design. More wheels on the road means more potential for flats. Avoiding obstacles such as broken glass is difficult because the wheels don’t follow the same path as the bike’s tires. In essence, three separate tracks must be taken into account when avoiding sharp objects. Patches have a tendency to be consumed more rapidly; Extra tubes should be carried for the trailer, even an extra trailer tire. Over time, each wheel will need to be trued.
Curb jumping is nearly impossible—the trailer has a tendency to tip over on variable terrain. If a deep and prolonged rut is accidentally hit, as in the side of a poorly maintained road, the trailer may land on its side. Depending on the weight of the trailer or speed of travel, this can cause considerable damage to the trailer hitch, as well as a potential accident.
Sometimes the damage may not be apparent at first. Along a poorly maintained road, I once tipped the Burley Nomad. Although there was no clear damage, the securing mechanism for a pin fell off during my ride, disabling an important safety feature while I was on the move.
The width of the trailer is prohibitive to rolling through doorways. It takes a high degree of precision to roll through a majority of passageways without having the quick release scrape against the doorway. I have damaged a few narrow passages in this manner.
Likewise, the trailer juts out in the road, exposing the cyclist that much more to accidents. Also, squeezing through tight spaces such as construction areas or other confined paths may be impossible. Burley would benefit from offering a trailer that can fit safely through the average residential doorway. At the very least, the quick release should be coated with rubber, as it has a tendency to scrape against sensitive interior spaces.
In addition to being difficult to squeeze through typical doorways, it is poorly designed for pulling by hand. When pulling by hand, the trailer is tilted higher than when it is attached to a bicycle. The result is that two tubes at the end of the trailer have a tendency to drag on the ground. Also, the minimally secured fabric panels in back are exposed to the weight of the cargo, leaving it prone to spillage.
The alternative to making the trailer more hand toting friendly would be to make it safer to lock up. There is no real way to secure the contents of the trailer, as everything is surrounded in fabric. Anyone could walk up to it, lift the fabric up, and go shopping in less than thirty seconds. In addition, there is no secure way of locking the trailer to an immobile object. The only way to make the trailer safe for locking would be to sell a metal mesh net that can fit over everything and to offer a secure point on the trailer to lock up to. The Burley employee I spoke with was unaware of a mesh net in production that can fit the trailer.
In effect, the trailer is hard to pull inside a building and it’s unsafe to lock up anywhere. Going to a grocery store or a bathroom is an awkward and time-consuming project.
Because of the storage capacity, one would assume that it would be ideal for the camping cyclist. Perhaps if the path to the campground or campsite was even without stones jutting out, this would be so. If the terrain is less friendly, there is the aforementioned tendency to tip. Of even greater concern, however, is the weakness of the underbelly of the trailer.
To Burley’s credit, there is a reinforced panel at the front of the trailer strong enough to take scrapes from stones. The back of the trailer, lower to the ground and thus more prone to scrapes from stones, has no such fabric and is prone to tearing. If the fabric is torn, which is, in my opinion, far too simple, the integrity of the bottom of the trailer is completely compromised. The trailer, in effect, is rendered useless. The bottom of the trailer is in great need of stronger fabric. I would go so far as to suggest a minimalist structure of aluminum tubing.
Another detriment that showed up was a manufacturing defect. The fabric of the right side panel was not pulled taught around the aluminum tubing. As a result, the fabric scraped against the wheel if I tried to fill it. Sometimes as things shifted in the trailer, the wheel would scrape the fabric. If I were in an area with a lot of ambient sound, as in a city, I would not notice the scraping sound. As a result, parts of the side panel fabric wore away.
Also, the back fabric panel is buckled to the side panels in a taciturn, insecure fashion. The straps have a tendency to slip out of place, exposing the contents of the trailer
Many of the detriments can be inferred from the design of the trailer. These detriments I was prepared to live with. It is a culmination of experiences with the trailer and the company, however, that lead me to explore the second definition of the word “burley.”
2. Burley: thinking or talk considered nonsensical.
By the time I realized that my trailer had a defect, the bike shop I purchased my trailer from closed down. Since my bike shop was closed, and I was already on the road, I called Burley to return my trailer directly. Unfortunately, Burley doesn’t deal directly with consumers. I had to find from them a dealer in Manhattan, the first place I would spend a significant time.
For whatever reason, the number I was given connected me with people who spoke poor English and had no idea what I was talking about. Instead of getting another number from Burley, I decided to wait until I reached Washington DC to deal with the problem.
Along the way to Manhattan, the securing mechanism for the pin that attached the hitch fell off while I was riding. I was able to use a length of cord to secure the pin in place. This I was also able to put off until DC.
Along the way to Washington DC, the fabric on the bottom panel tore to a dangerous degree. I was not confident that duct taping the fabric on the bottom of the trailer would suffice. In essence, I was forced to wait for repairs in DC.
To eliminate the possibility of miscommunication with Burley, I searched for an authorized dealer on my own. I found City Bikes in Washington DC. They, in turn, contacted Burley. An employee of City Bikes was patched through to an answering machine. She explained the extent of the damages. After roughly half an hour, I was informed through the employee that I would have to take pictures of the trailer and send them to City Bikes via e-mail, with a description of how the problem occurred.
After waiting a day from the point I contacted City Bikes, I asked City Bikes for a contact number so I could ascertain the status of my request. At which point, the aforementioned employee informed me that I was her only contact. Her judgment on the matter was that one day wasn’t enough. She promised to contact me with news. I respected her viewpoint.
Apparently, it is an indefinite process to look at four photographs, read a description of the damages, and come up with an estimate for repairs if not under warranty. I have yet to hear from anyone. Had I pressed for it, I might have received an update. There comes a point, however, when a person recognizes the inefficiencies of a company and its products—a point when a person decides to cut their losses and move on.
The whole process of attaining repairs for a trailer that can’t be locked, is not able to withstand rough trails, and is too wide to fit easily into many establishments, was too time-consuming to be worth the effort. In essence, I feel the Burley Nomad is inadequate for loaded touring.
